State, and hence it plays - in theory - the role of serving everyone’s interest without any
particular bias of its own.
The institutional framework of SIRESE is simple. It is placed under the supervision of the
Ministry of Economic Development as part of the executive branch of government. It is headed
by a General Superintendent in charge of the General Superintendency of the SIRESE system.
There are in turn 5 sectorial superintendencies, each headed by its own Sectorial Superintendent
in the areas under the jurisdiction of the system. As is the case with the General Superintendency,
each sectorial superintendency is an autarchic organ with national jurisdiction and with technical,
administrative and financial autonomy. Figure 2.1 illustrates the SIRESE system.
Figure 2.1
The SIRESE System3
Ministry of
Economic
Development
General Superintendency of
the SIRESE System
Superintendency
of Electricity
Superintendency
of Hidrocarbons
Superintendency of
T elecommunications
Superintendency
of Water
Superintendency
of Transport
The five areas under the jurisdiction of the SIRESE system have their own sectorial laws.4
Besides specific attributions established in each one of them, the competencies of sectorial
superintendencies include the granting of concessions, licenses, authorizations, and registers;
monitoring over the correct delivery of services and compliance with contractual obligations by
the regulated companies; the approval and dissemination of prices and tariffs; application of
sanctions when regulated enterprises breach agreed obligations specified in contracts; processing
3 The Superintendency of Water is now called Superintendency of Basic Sanitation.
4 As of June 2003, sectorial laws in the telecommunications, electricity and hydrocarbons industries were in place.
The transport and water sectors were still without a competent law and hence the activities of their sectorial
superintendencies were confined to the general prescriptions stated in Law 1600.